NHL Roundup : Hockey Has a New Star Named Bobby--It’s Carpenter

It may be time to add another name to the list of hockey greats with the first name Bobby. Already Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull and Bobby Clarke have made their marks in the National Hockey League.

And now there is Bobby Carpenter, the bright young star of the Washington Capitals. The fourth-year center is a major reason why the Capitals are becoming a power in the East.

Carpenter, only 21, scored two goals Tuesday at Landover, Md. to lead the Capitals to a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Capitals have lost only once in the last 13 games and lead the tough Patrick Division. The Capitals are 22-10-7 and Carpenter has 30 goals. He needs only three more this season to break his personal record.

There is a major difference between Carpenter and the other three. While the three Canadian stars grew up with a pair of skates and a hockey stick and played in top flight competition many years before entering the NHL, Carpenter is American-born. Most of his experience was in high school hockey which doesn’t compare to junior hockey in Canada.

There were some surprises in 1981 when the Capitals chose the 18-year-old from Beverly, Mass. as the No. 3 choice in the draft. Although he scored 32 goals as a rookie, it was not until this season that he developed into a star.

The Capitals say Carpenter matured as a member of Team USA when it almost won the Canada Cup in September. Carpenter was an outstanding player in the tournament and has carried on during the regular season. Calgary 5, Winnipeg 3--Lanny McDonald scored twice before the game was six minutes old at Winnipeg and the Flames went on to hand the Jets their fourth defeat in a row.

The victory moved the Flames ahead of the Jets into second place in the Smythe Division. They trail Edmonton, the leader, by 11 points.